H
amline is proud
of its history as Minnesota’s first university. However, even though our campus has been at its present location since 1880, only two of the campus’ original buildings remain. One is Old Main, and the other is the former presidents’ house, known as the White House. The White House was home to nine Hamline presidents, whose terms spanned from 1912 to 1988. According to documents provided by Hamline’s Archives, the White House was more than just a residence for the university presidents and their families; it was a gathering place for students and the location of many university functions. Despite the White House’s role in Hamline history, the university’s 20-year development plan does not include preservation of the structure. According to Associate Vice President of Facilities Lowell Bromander, the house will be torn down during the summer of 2014. In addition, the older homes used as offices by Hamline on Hewitt Ave., between Drew Residence Hall and Pascal St., will be demolished. In the White House’s place, Hamline will construct a parking lot which will help to remedy a chronic shortage of parking availability on campus. The White House has stood vacant since 2005. Bromander said that one of the principal reasons that Hamline made the decision not to preserve the house was because it was not deemed a historically significant building. According to studies that Hamline conducted, the house did not meet the standards for historic building preservation. “To get on a historical register there are some criteria about the history and archeology of the building, the style of it, did any special events happen in it? It [the White House] didn’t hit the criteria,” Bromander said. Hamline also considered renovating the house for special events, but their studies concluded that this would not be realistic based on the expense. “Because of the style and age of the house, and because it’s made up of many small rooms, if you were going to use it as an event house, its not accessible; it doesn’t have accessible facilities,” Bromander said. Bromander also said though that historical elements in the house will be preserved and repurposed. Some of them will be
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The White House will soon be a ghost of Hamline’s past placed elsewhere on campus. Items which are considered important to preserve are railings, wood moldings around doors, fireplace grates, leaded glass windows, a claw foot tub and an antique stove. The house would also require updated heating and air conditioning systems if renovated, and according to Bromander, Hamline felt that the cost of adding these systems was not worthwhile because the building is not historically significant. Other considerations in the discussion about renovation of the house included the risk of lead paint and other environmental hazards, as well as the house’s location on campus. “The houses’ front door looks at the loading dock of the library. It’s not a picturesque view,” Bromander said. However, this was not always the case. A document recounting the house’s history quotes former Hamline president Richard Baily, who served as president in the late 60s and early 70s. He described the White House’s lawn as “green, green, green everywhere! It looked like a 1920s park.” The White House holds memories of a time when one could see clear across campus to Snelling Ave. from the second floor balcony of the house. Before Bush Library and the Giddens Alumni Learning Center were built, the White House’s front yard was the size of two football fields. A large Evergreen tree formerly stood in front of the house and every year it served as the campus Christmas tree. The surroundings of the White House are not the only thing that have drastically changed throughout time. When the house was first built in 1903, it was located on Hewitt Ave. where Drew Residence Hall now stands. Original construction of the home totaled $8,500. The front door of the house originally faced Old Main and it was right in front of what used to be Norton Stadium. Each time people attended a sport
ing event, they passed the White House. It was not until 1946 that the house was moved to its current location at 830 Simpson St. to make room for the construction of Drew Residence Hall. Before the White House was moved, Simpson St. ran all the way through campus. Today, it ends at the beginning of the Englewood Ave. side of campus. The White House was not designed purposely for housing the president’s family. Hamline graduates Joseph M. Hackney (1901) and his wife Jennie Hill Hackney (1902) built and used the house as a private residence. Joseph Hackney was a Minnesota state senator as well as an investor and realtor. Joseph Hackney, who was a member on the Hamline Board of Trustees, donated the residence to the university in 1912. The first university president to live there was Dr. Samuel Kerfoot. Kerfoot lived in the house until the end of his presidency in 1927. Through the years, the White House has seen changes in its structure. When the house was moved in 1946, a basement and an oil burner were added; in 1953 the house was reroofed, and a room was added. The bathrooms were remodeled in 1961 and new kitchen cabinets were installed in 1964; and in 1968 the grand front entrance was restored. The last significant renovation took place in 1988 when Hamline Trustee Elisabeth Mason and Hamline alumna and interior designer JoAnn Hanson headed a committee that refurbished the main floor of the house. Through all these changes, the house remained home to the majority of Hamline presidents until Larry Osnes’ presidency in 1988. At this point, the house became a functional building used to host overnight guests and university events. In 2005, when Linda Hanson became president, Hamline purchased the current president’s residence on Summit Ave. in St. Paul. Today, the White House lingers behind the rest of campus in an era long past. As Hamline moves forward to accommodate the needs of today’s students, the White House must relinquish its stately post. While the history of the house will remain immortalized in the archives, the campus landmark will soon disappear. Left: Document from 1945 requesting the relocation of the White House from Hewitt Ave. to Simpson St.